Sakima Smith, MD
Physician, Associate Professor
Cardiovascular Disease, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Make an appointment
614-293-7677
Accepting new patients
Conditions and expertise
- High Blood Pressure
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Coronary Care Units
- Transplantation
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Heart-Assist Devices
Locations
- Outpatient Care New Albany
Academics and research
Department: Internal Medicine
About
- Gender
- Male
Biography
I am a heart-failure transplant cardiologist, and I believe that the gift of life is truly amazing. I am particularly interested in working with patients that are critically ill and working together towards improving their quality of life.
I am a firm believer in providing individualized care to my patients. I take this approach in the clinic and when I'm designing new translational research projects.
I enjoy working at a large academic medical center such as The Ohio State University because I am able to interact with world leaders in different fields of study. I am constantly provided with opportunities to be educationally engaged.
In my free time I enjoy playing basketball, spending time with my family, traveling and attending Ohio State football games.
Highlights
- Associate program director, Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program, 2015
- James V. Warren Fellowship Research Award, 2014
- Robert Wood Johnson Faculty Development Grant, 2015
- Rated in the top 10 percent of physicians in the nation in 2014
- Named to Castle Connolly's Regional Top Doctors and Top Black Doctors lists
Conditions and expertise
- Cardiology
- Cardio-oncology
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Coronary Care Units
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplantation
- Heart-Assist Devices
- High Blood Pressure
- Hypercholesterolemia
- Internal Medicine
- Organ Transplantation
- Transplantation
Locations
Please note: Not all physicians schedule patients at each listed location.
Credentials
Education
- Fellowship - Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
- Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
7/1/2013 - 6/30/2014 - Fellowship - Cardiovascular Disease
- Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
7/1/2012 - 6/30/2013 - Fellowship - Cardiovascular Disease
- Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
7/1/2009 - 6/30/2012 - Residency - Internal Medicine
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO, United States
6/21/2006 - 6/22/2009 - Doctor of Medicine (MD)
- Temple University School Of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
9/3/2002 - 5/18/2006
Certifications
-
American Heart Association National Center
8/25/2025 -
American Board of Internal Medicine/Advanced Heart Failure-Transplant Cardio
10/13/2016 -
American Board of Internal Medicine/Cardiovascular Disease
11/2/2012 -
American Board of Internal Medicine
8/24/2009
Academics and research
I am an associate professor and the vice chair for Diversity & Inclusion in the Department of Internal Medicine at The Ohio State University. I serve as the associate program director for the Cardiovascular Fellowship Training Program and I am also a member of the Translational Therapeutics Program at the OSUCCC - James.
As a Heart failure (HF)-transplant cardiologist, I routinely see patients who have had increased cancer-free survival due to anti-cancer treatment. However, many of them go on to develop cardiotoxic side effects including overt HF. My goal is to generate new mechanistic data using in vitro and in vivo models to determine the underlying cardiotoxic pathways that anti-cancer therapy has on the heart. My mission is to translate these findings to other disease states and pathways by using novel methods and technologies, including inducible pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes and cardiovascular optogenetics.?
My research has also found that ßII spectrin associates with ankyrin- B and represents an integrative node for assembly of the cardiac junctional dyad. My lab has discovered a novel mutation in the human ankyrin-B gene that disrupts the ankyrin-B/ßII spectrin interaction leading to severe human arrhythmia phenotypes. My team and I have observed aberrant ßII spectrin regulation in multiple forms of human heart failure and arrhythmia and accelerated heart failure phenotypes in ßII spectrin-deficient cardiac-specific mice.
My original research has been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and I regular present before respected institutions across the United States. I have been recognized with awards such as Distinguished Researcher of the Year from the Landacre Research Honor Society and I was selected as the Bob Frick Research Chair in Heart Failure and Arrhythmia in 2022.
Research interests
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Education
- Heart Failure
- Hypertension
- Kidney Neoplasms
- Protein Tyrosine Kinases
- Therapeutics
Academic information
- Department:
- Internal Medicine
- Division:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Leadership titles
- Bob Frick Research Chair in Heart Failure and Arrhythmia
More about my research
News and media
My news coverage
Ratings and reviews
The overall patient satisfaction rating is an average of all patient responses to the six doctor communication related questions shown below from the Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. For additional information about the patient satisfaction survey, please visit our Patient Satisfaction Survey page.
The comments are submitted by patients and reflect their view and opinions. The comments are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.
36 Patient Satisfaction Reviews
Patient Comments
Consulting and Related Relationships
At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, we support a faculty member’s research and consulting in collaboration with medical device, research and/or drug companies because a faculty member’s expertise can guide important advancements in the practice of medicine and improve patient care. In order to provide effective management of these relationships, the University requires annual disclosures from all faculty members with external interests related to their University responsibilities.
As of 11/3/2025, Dr. Smith has reported no relationships with companies or entities.
Made me feel I could ask him anything. Dr. Smith is a very good listener and communicates with me so easily. I trust his knowledge.
Dr. Smith is the best doctor I have and he has kept me alive for almost 10 years now since I moved to Ohio. I have steadily recovered from heart failure because of his care and I trust him with my life.
Provider was outstanding. Extremely knowledgeable and helpful to me in addressing my health concerns.
Good
He is the best ! He cares for his patients he listens to their concerns. He takes very good care of his patience.
Dr Smith was very pleased with my overall health. He answered all my questions about my health and future concerns about my heart longitivity.
Good
Dr. Smith is great. Very thorough!
We chatted for a while and he was up on all my issues
Good
I felt like I was the only person being seen
The doctor was wonderful. He listened intently. He was very comprehensive.
Very helpful knowledgeable and wonderful visit
Always treated very well!
I can't say enough about Dr Smith he's wonderful. He listens to everything you say he knows all about you when you come in. He's very smart, very friendly. He is a great doctor.
Dr. Smith is knowledgeable, personable, courteous, and always willing to look at the big picture and not place me In a bucket to provide routine care for my Illness. He treats me as a unique case and has since the first visit. I can't say enough great things about Dr Smith, I trust him completely with my heart and pulmonary care.